The City of Emeryville has approved a Climate Action Plan and goal for reducing its emissions to protect the climate. By 2020, the city plans on reducing emissions from the whole community and the government operations by 25 percent over 2004 levels. The city’s website include links to the adopting resolution, staff report and baseline emissions inventory.

The following summarizes major resources to support sustainability efforts. The summary is not intended to be exhaustive. Additional targeted or other resources may be available in individual geographic areas. Because funding sources, eligibility criteria and availability change constantly, local officials are encouraged to review the programs themselves carefully.

The City of Martinez Climate Action Plan presents goals, principles, and strategies for reducing the city’s greenhouse gas emissions, conserving energy and natural resources,and preparing the community for the expected effects of global warming.

Local agencies throughout California are striving to reduce costs, even as the demand for services grows. In this environment, improving efficiency helps agencies do more with their existing resources and can offer a high return on investment. This whitepaper offers suggestions on working with energy utilities to finance energy efficiency improvements.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, also known as the IPCC, is the leading body for the assessment of climate change, established by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic consequences.

Adaptation planning in the Bay Area is defining what it means to live with a rising Bay. Access reports and projects by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) that reflects the current state of knowledge regarding the potential impacts of climate change on the region.

This program of the non-profit Building Industry Institute provides guidelines and certification systems, and encourages voluntary partnerships between builders and local governments to build cost-effective, green homes that benefit homebuyers and the community at large through improvements in energy efficiency, indoor air quality and comfort, on-site waste recycling, and water and wood conservation.

Build It Green is a non-profit membership organization providing green building guidelines and rating systems (such as the GreenPoint Rated home rating system). The organization also offers training, tools, technical expertise and partnership opportunities for a variety of key stakeholders, including public agencies, to accelerate the adoption of green building practices.

These stewardship principles, developed by the Local Government Commission, can help cities and counties reduce costs and improve the reliability and quality of water resources. The Awhahnee Water Principles are meant to compliment the original Ahwahnee Principles for Resource-Efficient Land Use.

The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) is the largest statewide coalition of public water agencies in the country. Its nearly 450 public agency members collectively are responsible for 90% of the water delivered to cities, farms and businesses in California.